Youth stuck, rescued in following short-cut through
field in Alliston

Three boys who set out to bike through the field between
Tottenham Road and Industrial Parkway yesterday after school, had to be rescued by OPP when
they got stuck in the water and mud.

Pictured above,
a Google Earth image of the the unopened right of way between Tottenham
Road and Industrial Parkway.

OPP reported this morning they were alerted to the situation at 6:05 pm
yesterday, when one of the three youth - two 11, and one 12 - had managed to free himself, and
walked over to the detachment on Industrial Parkyway which is visible
from the field.

"(An) officer from the Nottawasaga Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) was
driving into the Detachment at the end of his shift when he noticed a
young male walking towards the driveway," according to the press
release.

"The young male had no coat or boots and was in a weakened state,
unable to talk, his legs were cramping and he was hypothermic. The
young 12 year old male was with two other friends and he managed to get
to the Police Detachment to tell Police his two friends were trapped in
the ice and mud off the Albert Street extension.

The three boys were biking and decided to take a short cut, within
minutes they were in waist-high water and mud, their boots became stuck
in the mud, their bicycles were also stuck and they were trapped by the
deep water, ice and mud. They estimate they were there for two hours
before the 12-year-old was able to break free.

Officers approached by foot, going through mud, ice and water up to
their waists to rescue the two 11 year old boys. Both boys had to
be carried out by Police due to their hypothermic state and exhaustion.

Police brought the boys into the Detachment and started to get them
warmed slowly also contacting Simcoe County Paramedics who attended and
treated the boys at Detachment.

For a group of about 18 young Girl Guide Sparks who were at the
Detachment for tour watching this event take place, the message of Ice
Safety was never clearer!

All three boys were treated for mild-moderate hypothermia and released
to their thankful parents!"